SC to announce verdict on Amar Singh tapping case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on Wednesday on the issue of lifting the stay on publishing and telecasting the tapped conversations of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh with top political leaders and Bollywood stars.

The apex court had on February 27, 2006, restrained the electronic and the print media from broadcasting and publishing the contents of the tapped conversations of anyone, including that of Singh.

The apex court had on February 27, 2006, restrained the media from broadcasting the tapped conversations.

A Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly had reserved the verdict on March 29 after hearing Singh and an NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) which has opposed his plea, and sought a direction for making public all his conversations.

The court expressed shock after going through one of the transcripts of Singh's conversations with the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in 2005 in which they were talking about approaching Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court toallot a case to a bench favourable to them.

Among the eight respondents, Singh, who was then the Samajwadi Party General Secretary, had named Congress party through it's President and private telecom major Reliance Infocomm but later withdrew the allegation against Congress.

Besides the two Ministries - Telecom and Home, he has also included Delhi government and Delhi Police.

He alleged his phones were intercepted in violation of the guidelines of the apex court and the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act and Rules.

Singh said the guidelines laid down by the apex court were aimed at preventing the arbitrary exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5(2) of the Act as it would amount to serious violation of an individual's fundamental right to privacy.